Wheat-washing machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. MGDANVIEL. WHEAT WASHING MACHINE.

No. 573,687. Patented 1360.22, 1896 Q m 5 A O Q o w y .l mil u 3 flfll/z. Q T I YHE'IIORRIS auras no. Puo'rmumo. wasumu'rom'n c.

(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 2. J. MODANIBL. WHEAT WASHING MACHINE.

No. 57 Patented Dec. 22, 1896.

(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 3.

J= M0 DANIEL.

WHEAT WASHING MACHINE.

No. 573,687. Patented Dec. 22, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MODANIEL, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

WHEAT-WASHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,687, dated December896- Application filed February 7,1896. Serial No. 578,311. (No model.)

'/0 (LZZ- whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES MCDANIEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Min neapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWheat-Washing Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inwheat-washing inachines.

On the 29th of October, 1895, I filed in the United States Patent Officean application (designated Serial No. 567,330) for improvements inwheat-washing machines. The present invention is an improvement upon theone covered by that application. These additional improvements consist,essentially, of two things: first, a water separator and hopper for dulyfeeding the wheat and separating all light material therefrom, as alsoall matter heavier than the wheat before the grain enters thewheat-washer proper, and, second, a

fan attachment to the wheat-washer proper for the purpose of drawing airthrough the machine in an opposite direction to that in which the wheatis discharged from the machine.

In the accompanying drawings, on which like reference letters andnumerals indicate corresponding parts, Figure l is aplan view of mymachine entire; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical sectional view on theline no a: of Fig. 1 with the water separator shown in side elevation 5Fig. 3, a detail vertical sectional view of a water separator andhopper; Fig. 4, an enlarged detail view of the valve mechanism for thewater separator; Fig. 5, a transverse vertical sectional view on theline y y of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 6, adetail sectional view on the line .2 r: of Fig. 5, showing thedischarge-passages from the fancasing.

I will first describe so much of the present machine as is like thewheat-washer embraced in my said former application, and then'Iwillrefer to the present improvements which I have added to such machine.

The letter A designates a stout frame constructed to form a suitablesupport for the machine proper. A water-tight casing B is suitablysupported by the frame and provided with a water-outlet O, awheat-outlet D, and a partition E, the upper edge of the latter beingV-shaped, as shown at F, to form a joint with an annulus carried by therevolving spiders, as hereinafter specified, to prevent the water usedin washing the wheat from mixing with the wheat passing out of thecasing to the spout D. A feeding and washing drum G extends from thecasing B. It is open at one end, as shown at H, the opening beingsmaller than the drum itself to retard the discharge and closed at theother, as indicated at 1, Fig. 2. A feed-pipe J conveys the waterandwheat into this feeding and Washing drum G. The interior of the drum atsuitable intervals is provided with raised surfaces K, constituting whatI term baflies, which resist the rotary movement of the wheat and wateras the same are slushed in a circular direction in the drum by theseveral feeding-heaters composed of spiral bars or strips L, secured tospiders M, mounted on the main shaft 0, which has hearings in the mainframe A at P, Q, and B. This shaft is driven by a belt-pulley S. Theshaft 0 is further provided with three spiders T, each having four arms,which spiders carry conveyers consisting each of a bar U, havingspirally-set wings or flights V, which when the shaft is revolved travelin a rotary direction within the straining-drum, presently to bereferred to. These flights or wings V perform the function of feedingthe wheat toward the discharge end of the drum. The centrifugal actionof these conveyers also tends to rapidly discharge the water through thestrainin -drum, but do not act violently on the wheat. The wings areterminated a sufficient distance within the straining-drum to preventcracking or injuring the Wheat.

vTo avoid the liability of the straining-drum to become clogged, Iprovide what I term flexible wipers (shown at WV) and consisting ofshort arms pivoted to the bars U and having rubbing or wiping surfacesX, of metal, rubber, or other suitable material. Thecentrifugal forcecauses these wipers to rub against the inside of the straining-drum andkeep it wiped off clean and free from accumulations. The main shaft 0also carries two drum-spiders 2 and 3, loosely mounted thereon andhaving secured to them a conical or tapering perforated straining-drum4. The

spider 2 has a ring or annulus 5, with a V- shaped periphery matchingthe V-shaped edge of "the partition E, to which it closely fits to forma joint substantially water-tight. The spider 2 has a sleeve 6, on whichis mounted a gear-wheel 7, meshing with a gear-wheel S, mounted on acounter-shaft 9, also supported in bearings carried by the main frame A.The shaft 9 has also ,a gear-wheel 10, slightly larger in diameter thanthe gear-wheel 8, which gear-wheel 10 meshes with a gear wheel 11,mounted on the main shaft 0, but somewhat smaller than the gear-wheel 7.Thus when the shaft 0 is driven by the pulley S the feeding-agitatorsare revolved at the speed of the shaft, and the straining-drum isrevolved at a slightly-lower speed through the gears described. Thus thefeeding-agitators and the straining-drum travel at differential speed,though in the same direction. The effect of this is to convey the wheatthrough the drum and yet prevent injury to the wheat.

The operation and utility of this portion of my machine will beunderstood and appreciated by the following, when taken in 'con nectionwith the foregoing description: As before stated, the wheat and waterare fed through the pipe J into the feed-drum G, where it is thoroughlywashed by the action of the feeding-beaters L and bafllers K. Passinginto the straining-drum the wheat is coneyed through the drum, while thewater is separated from the wheat by centrifugal force and eachdischarged through separate openings and pipes, and while also theinterior of the straining-drum is kept free from accumulations whichwould tend to clog it up by the action of the yielding scrapers.

Referring now tothat part of my additional improvement, which relates todrying the wheat as it is discharged from the machine, it will be seenthat I mount on the spider a fan consisting of a rim 12, fastened to thespider and having projections 13, to which are attached fan-blad es 14,so that this fan revolves with the spider 3. A fan-casing is placedabout the fan, as seen in Figs. 2 and 5. The eye or opening 10 of thefan-casing, through which air is drawn in by the fan, is somewhat largerthan the perforated drum 4 at that end of said drum. \Vhen this fanrevolves, its action is to create an ingoing current of air which passesup through the wheat-discharge openings D and against the descendingwheat and more or less into and through the perforated drum, moving fromthe larger toward the smaller end thereof. This air-current also passesover and above the partition E, which, as seen in Fig. 5, extends toabout the horizontal center of the machine. Passing over this partitionit draws rapidly around the outside of the perforated drum toward andinto the eye 16 of the fan-casing. The discharge of air from the casingis clearly seen in Figs. 5 and 6, in which Y17 and 18 are thedischarge-passages, being formed by walls 19 and 20 and the part 21 ofthe general casing of the machine. This air-current necessarily takes upmore or less moisture and the moisture or the water derived from themoisture passes, essentially, out through the passage 17 and collects inthe vessel 22, while the remaining discharge from the fan, beingessentially air, passes through the passage 18 and out through theair-opening 23, so much of such portion as is water dripping down alsointo the receptacle 22. From such receptacle this water dischargesthrough'the pipe 24 into the lower part 25 of the machine-casing,

which part I may term the sewer of the ma chine. Thence the waterdischarges, as before stated, through the pipe 0. Thus it will be seenthat by my fan attachment cooperating with the other mechanism of themachine I effect an inward draft of air against the discharge of wheatand thus dry the wheat that has passed so far out of the machine as tobe freev of the water in the machine.

Referring now to the other feature of my additional improvements,namely, the water separator and its hopper, it will be seen that I mountthis separator on the pipe J and construct it of a conical vessel 26,with an opening 27 at its lower end, at which point I fit within it aconical cut-off or valve 28, cut away at 20 to correspond with theopening 27 and controlled by a rod 30, operated by a handle 31, which,when placed against a stop 32, brings the openings opposite each other,so that a discharge may be effected, and wliiclnwhen adjusted against astop 33, closes the opening of the conical vessel 26. I mount awater-tank 34 around the upper part of the vessel 26 and supply waterthereto through a cock-con trolled pipe 35,providin g a dischargefaucet36, which runs into a drip-pipe 37, discharging into an overflow-pipe38. The overflow-pipe extends to the proper level within the conicalvessel, and its function is to carry off water from the conical vesseland also all light foreign matter floating on the surface of the waterwithin the vessel, which matter is by this floating and drawing processseparated from the wheat itself. A hopper 39 has a cut-off 40 to controlthe admission of the wheat, and a neck or extension 41,which leadsthrough the tank 34 into the inner vessel. An opening 42 in the neck 41is controlled by a sliding cut-ofi 43,0perated and held by a screw 44.WVater passes from the tank into the interior vessel through the-opening42, and there is. a constant ingoing current due to the fact that thewater in the interior vessel, which is accomplished by making thedischarge through the valve-opening 27 and the discharge through theoverflow-pipe such that the water cannot gain a higher level thanindicated in the interior vessel. Thus it flows in constantly throughthe opening 42 and runs out at the level of the overflow-pipe. Thiscurrent is just suflicient to preventthe wheat, due to its specificgravity relatively to that of the water, from dropping down through theopening 42, while all substances heavier than wheat, such as smallstones or sand,which frequently get into the wheat, drop out of theopening 42 and collect in the tank,from which they are readily removed,as by emptying the tank, when they can be taken out by hand. Thus bymeans of this water separator I first separate from the wheat foreignmatter that is heavier and then separate from it foreign matter that islighter, and while these actions are going on the wheat is beingconstantly fed into the washing part of the apparatus.

The apparatus here shown and described I have built and tested, and thestatements here made as to the operation and effects are statements offact so ascertained.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a wheat-washing machine, the followin g instrumentalities acasinghaving a water and a wheat outlet, a feedingdrum, and astraining-drum in the casing, a revoluble shaft carrying feeding-beatersin the feeding-drum, and conveyers in the straining-drum, a waterwheat-separator consisting of a vessel opening into the feeding-drum, avalve for said opening, a tank for water, a hopper having an opening todischarge heavy foreign matter into said tank and a lower opening todischarge wheat into said vessel, said vessel having an overflow forlight foreign matter.

2. In a wheat-washing machine, the following instrumentalities: a casinghaving a wheat and a water discharge opening, a strainingdrum in thecasin g, a feeding-drum dischargin g into the straining-drum, arevoluble shaft having conveyers within the straining-drum and feedingdevices in the feeding-drum, a fan-casin g and its fan near the feed endof thestraining-drum, said fan being rotated by said shaft andproducingingoing air-currents through the wheat-outlet and against thedischarging wheat, a water wheat-separator consisting of a vesselopening into the feedingdrum, a valve for said vessel, a water tank orsupply for said vessel, a hopper having a foreign-matter-dischargeopening into said water-supply, and a wheat-discharge opening into saidvessel, and an overflow-pipe for said vessel for light foreign matter.

3. The combination with a vessel for wheat and water, provided with avalve-controlled discharge, of a tank or water-supply for said vessel,and a hopper or grain-supply for said vessel, the hopper or grain-supplyhaving an upper opening to discharge heavy foreign matter and a loweropening to discharge wheat into said vessel and said vessel having anoverflow to discharge light foreign matter.

4. The combination with a wheat and water vessel having avalve-controlled discharge, a

tank or water-supply for said vessel, and a hopper or grain-supply forsaid vessel, the water feeding into said vessel through an extension ofthe hopper or grain-supply with an ingoing current, such water-openingbeing also the discharge for heavy foreign matter, and an overflow-pipefor said vessel terminating below the water-level in the supply so astoinduce such ingoing current and to carry off light foreign matter.

5. The combination with a conical vessel 26 with an opening 27 and aconical valve 29 having an operating-rod and handle, an overflow-pipe38, a water-tank 34, a hopper 39 with an opening 4:2 and a valve 43,said elements operating as described for the purpose set forth.

=6. In a wheat-washing machine, the combination with a casing having awheat and a water discharge opening, a feeding-drum, a straining-drumwithin the casing with its smaller end receiving grain from thefeedingdrum, a revoluble shaft within said drums, feeding-boaters onsaid shaft Within the feeding-drum, and conveyers on said shaft withinsaid straining-drum, a fan-casing with its fan within the main casingand operating to produce an indrawn current through the wheatdischargeopening into the main casing, said fan being revolved by said shaft,whereby in one continuous operation the wheat is fed, is washed andconveyed, is discharged and is dried.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES MODANIEL.

IVitnesses:

JAMES D. OBRIEN, T. O. ESTEE.

